ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996                   TAG: 9607080078
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: B-1  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JENNIFER MILLER STAFF WRITER 

RING OF FIRE CALLS RIDE FANS

THE NINTH ANNUAL SALEM FAIR, boasting more than 40 rides, has been turning fairgoers upside down.

For 75 cents, you can sneak a peek at an 1,100-pound pig.

Or you can take a look at Tiny Tasha, the Island Princess, who at age 39 stands ``28 inches small."

Across the way is the "Great Little Bear Show," in which two trained brown bears play on their swing set and roll down their slide.

Or step inside the air-conditioned warehouse to see Katchunga - "a real American bushman" - wrestle an alligator in the shallow water of the Sunken Gardens. Beware, though: a four-foot metal fence is the only thing that stands between you and the alligator's sharp teeth.

You can do all this and much more at the ninth annual Salem Fair. Some 300,000 people attend the event each year to see pigs race, clowns goof around and fireworks light up the sky.

They also come to hear good music, stuff their faces with cotton candy and caramel apples, and get the jolt of their life on more than 40 rides.

On Saturday, Emily Mazuski from Queens, N.Y., stumbled off the Ring of Fire roller coaster, which speeds its passengers upside down around its loop.

"I'm still shaking," Mazuski said as she rubbed her temples, trying to calm her nerves. "It was a good idea to go on that before I ate."

Six-year-old Brandon Shafer of Blacksburg said the Ring of Fire was his favorite ride.

"I like to go backwards," he boasted before dragging his parents toward the Funhouse.

The fair, which opened at the Salem Civic Center parking lot Wednesday, was the place to be this weekend. Fairgoers from all over Southwest Virginia and parts of West Virginia poured through the entrance, buying coupons for 12 hours of fun.

Mike Wimmer, 48, made the 11/2-hour trip from Danville with his wife, two daughters and his son-in-law to attend his fourth Salem fair.

"I like walking around, and I enjoy all the games and rides," he said. "I also enjoy the food."

Roanokers Ashley Sink, 13, and Michael Christian, 15, come to the fair several times each year.

"It is a whole lot better than the Roanoke fair. There are more rides, and the [staff] are friendlier," Sink said.

All of this fun is for a limited time, however: At closing time next Sunday, workers from Deggeller Attractions Inc., the Florida-based operation that brings the carnival to Salem each year, will tear down the fair for another town's turn.

There is no admission fee for the fair, and discount coupons for rides are available every day except Friday. Hours of operation are 4 p.m. to midnight on weekdays, and noon to midnight on weekends. Call (540)375-4013 for more information.

LENGTH: Medium:   65 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ERIC BRADY/Staff. 1. Youngsters and grown-ups alike 
          enjoy the caterpillar coaster (above) at the Salem Fair on Saturday.
          Bert Lucas, with the Kachunga Alligator Show, picks up a grown 
          'gator (left) to show the audience parts of the reptile. Although 
          the show is entertaining, it is primarily used for public safety 
          awareness. 2. Alligators, previously considered endangered, now 
          number close to a million. color.